3.28.2008

I have a new addiction and, OH GOD NO, it's Pinkberry. I had successfully resisted the craze until Tuesday, and since then, I've stopped each night on my way home to get progressively larger sizes. (To add to the madness, going to the closest Pinkberry necessitates using a slightly farther subway station, with a longer walk home.)

So, my favorite is the green tea flavor but certainly not with any healthy fruit, as pictured above. No, there's some secret not-on-the-menu ingredient called "mochi" that is sometimes described as rice cakes by my new best friends at Pinkberry. I don't know quite what they are (but they are delicious!) and since there is no published information on them, I did a little Internets research.

And found this on Wikipedia:

Mochi is very sticky and somewhat tricky to eat. After each new year, it is reported in the Japanese media how many people die from choking on mochi. The victims are usually elderly.

Awesome. So now I have a new habit which along with being somewhat expensive, could eventually result in death.

3.26.2008

Here's how it went down: B and I had a slight disagreement on Sunday that we were able to calmly, coherently, and respectfully talk through. We both came out on the other side of the conversation feeling that we had been heard and understood, *and* that we were happy to have had said conversation.

3.25.2008

3.24.2008

...to talk to your sister-in-law about how exhausted you are and how difficult it is to adjust back to east coast time/daylight savings time after your vacation when, just 7 days prior, she has given birth (via c-section, no less) to 2 babies, and is breastfeeding every 3 hours?

3.23.2008

We had lunch in Santa Barbara (no pictures, for some reason) and drove the rest of the way down the coast to Los Angeles. Stopped for "dinner" at Neptune's Net where I became acquainted with the poor man's version of a chelada - Bud Light and Clamato in a 24 oz. tallboy. It was DELICIOUS.

We made it to our hotel in Venice just in time to walk out on the pier and watch the sunset.

3.21.2008

The Yurt remains my favorite part of the trip. It's hard to describe just how peaceful it felt there, in between the ocean and the mountains in our own little perfect circle...gazing up at tree tops through the skylight.

3.20.2008

We happened upon Ghirardelli, who happened to be having a sale of a 50 piece bag of chocolate. Chocolate for breakfast! Chocolate all day! Heading to "The Rock" Welcome to "The Rock" (I bet everyone who visits Alcatraz says that when they arrive, and btw., my Scottish accent? Sucks.) And a return to the Hotel Del Sol for a nap following our day-long chocolate sugar buzz.

3.19.2008

Working it and owning it at Clos Pegase. The view from Sterling Vinyards. Not that this picture is any indication, but we had lunch in Calistoga. Sunset, taken from the car on the way into San Francisco.

3.11.2008

3.07.2008

Don’t worry, hey, no need for you to hide among the trees Come into the light and you’ll be free Don’t scurry, hey, it’s such a lonely life up in the hills The valley’s gonna cure your every ill Don’t worry, hey, I know that you are lost but you’ll be found God willing we are California bound God willing we are California bound

No, I never will hate you I just want to show you the one truth And spread my love all around

No worries, heys, I know tomorrow brings the golden sun Where there’s wine and olive fruit for everyone Do hurry, hey, now spread the news from there upon your mound God willing we are California bound God willing I won’t put you in the ground

That pre-vacation too-little-time-too-much-to-do thing is kicking in, which is resulting in not a whole lot of sleep, which then leads to:

- Me prank calling B at work, making ridiculous noises and hanging up - B and I laughing hysterically over the concept that we are sleeping in a "monkey bed". (Don't ask, it's a long story involving Tim Gunn and our inability to change our sheets.) - B pretending to be Tim Gunn (voice, mannerisms) for an entire night - Exploring how many ways we can use the word "yurt" in a sentence - Laughing hysterically over that - Making up conversations that either one of us is having with the dog re: his religious choices

3.04.2008

Lately, I've taken on a slightly nagging tone with B, as I've harassed and harrangued him regarding our upcoming trip. There seems to be about a million odds and ends to clear up, and we're leaving Saturday. Conversations in our house sound like this:

r: "Did you book the rental car"?b: "Ya".r: "What about doing laundry before we go"?b: I'll take care of it".r: "Do you know where your swimsuit is? Do you think you should get it out now? Let it air out?"b: [eyeroll]r: "What about L.A.? What do you want to do in L.A."?b: "Ummmm, eat at In N' Out Burger?"r: "That's it? That's all you want to do in L.A.?"b: [shrug]r: "Well, when are we going to pack? How many suitcases are we bringing? Should we bring my laptop"?b: [starts rocking back and forth and crying]r: "I'm really excited for our first vacation together..."

This morning, I found myself debating whether it was more important to go to my ENT doctor to check the congestion/wheeziness I've ignored for the past 2 months *or* go get my hair cut.